Variable line spacer for typewriters



, O. A. HOKANSON VARIABLE LINE SPACER FOR TYPEWRITERS May 29, 1923.

Filed April 7. 19l9 Patented May 29, 1923.y

"oTTo A. HOKANSON, orWooDsTocx, IL

LINoIs,` AssIGNoR -To WRITEBACOMPANY, or wooDsTocK, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS'.

y VARIABLE LINE simona` Foa" TYPnwRIT'Ens.

' .Applicationv filed April 7,

To all 'whom t may concern.' y l n Be it known that I, OTTo A. HoIIANsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woodstock, in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Variable Line Spacers for Typewriters,.ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object theprovision of typewriter line spacers which'shall be of improved construction and operation. 'The invention is exemplified in the combination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawing, and described in the following specification, andl itis more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. -i lIn Vthe drawingsf Fig. 1- is a vertical sectional view through a portion of a typewriter platen having one embodiment of Amy invention connected therewith; and

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. The numeral 10 .designates 'the wooden core of a typewriter platen having arubber cover 11 on its periphery and provided with a platenend 12 which centers the platen on its rod 13. The endofthe platen not shown in the drawing, is rigidly and' detachably connected'withV the rod 13 in any well known manner. The platen carriage end plate 14 has a bushing 15 riveted thereto andajsleeve 16 is journalled in thebushing 15 and surrounds the platen rod 13. A hollow stem 17 engages the end of the sleeve 16 and is held'ixed thereonby a set screw 18.v The stem 17 is also fixed to the end of the rod`13 by a set screw 19, and a hand wheel 20 is rigidly carried `on the end of the stem 17.

Secured to the' end ofthe wood screws 21, is a plate 22 and a second plate 23'having a circular flange 24 proj ecting from the? lateral face thereof is secured to the end plate 22 by machine screws 25. The flangeI 24 is provided with circum- .ferentially arranged internal ratchet teeth 26. Journalled on the sleeve 16 and partially surrounded by'the flange 24, is a ratchet hub 27 whichcarries a ratchet wheel 28 riveted thereto in position to lie against l.the 'outer edge -of the flange 24. A circumferential.. flange 29 on the sleeve 16 sepavrates `-thevratchetliub 27 from the bushing platen 14l-by countyl of McHenry and- 1919. serial No. 287,949'.

15. vAn arm 30 is journalled on the bushing 15 and carries `a pawl 31 pivotally mounted on its outer end in position to engage the teeth ofthe ratchetwheel 28.' A limit stop 32 for the pawl arm 30 isr carried ona plate 33 journalled `on the sleeve 15,"a'nd lthe plate 33 'is' provided with a 'spring `pressed pin 34 which may engage 'any `one of a series of openings 35 formedv 1n a projection 36 on the carriage endplate 14. -The arm 30 Vwhich carriesthe pawl 31 is oscillated by, alink 37 connected witha hand :lever 38 which maybe pivoted in any Vsuitable mannerupon the 'platen carriage. The ratchet wheel hub 27 kis'provided with apair of pawls 39 pivotally mounted atf40 on the inner face thereof and the upperends lof the pawls 39yare connected by a spring `rod 41 vwhich normally draws the pawls toward one another, as shown in Fig. 2. The pawls 39 are in alignment with the ratchet -teeth l26 and may be forced outwardly into engagementwith the ratchet teeth `by a pawl -operating cone`42l slidablymounted on the sleeve 16. Thecone 42 is connected with the` inner end of a rod 43 which is disposed in a groove 44 formed inthe platen'shaft 13. The outerendof the rod43 is provided with a knob 44 by which the rodv 43 and cone 42 may be slid inwardly and outwardly. When the cone 42 is slid to the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, it presses outwardly on spring bars -45 which are formed integral with the pawls 39.` This action of the conc'42 forces the pawls 39 into resilient 'engagement with the ratchet teeth 26. The portion of the vcone 42 which is of greatest diameter is spaced inwardly a slight distance from the'end of the cone; as shown in Fig. 1, sothat when the cone is moved inwardly a portion of the cone of maximum diameter will pass'the spring bars 45 so that the bars will engage the tapering portion ofthe cone at the left of the portion of greatest size. Inv this way the cone 42 will'be` automatically held in its inner positionV-when the f knob 44 has been moved inwardly. 1 Theknob 44is threaded onto the end of the lrod 43 so that it,l may be adjusted longitudinally on th that the inner face of theknob will strike.' the outer face of the stem 17 when the greatestdiameter of the`cone 42 has passed the pawls 45.` The knobv44is provided with slots46-which yare engaged'by Aay screw 47 to hold the knob from'rotation on the rod 43 wooDsTooK ITYE- n erod invorder p when. it has been once adj-usted.` A circular shoulder'. 48 is? provided on: the plate. 23' `to bear against the inner faces of the pawls 39 to prevent the pawls from beingv moved laterally by the cone 42 when it is forced inwardly by the knob 44.

It will be 39 are forced outwardly into engagement with the ratchet teeth 26, the lil-ne spacing ratchet wheel 28 will be held in fixed relation with thev platen. llVhen, however, the cone 42 isV withdrawn, Vas. shownin Fig. 1, the pawls 39- wil'l be moved inwardly, as shown in Fig.. 2, out of engagement with the ratclriet teeth 2G, and the platen. may then be rotated by the hand' wheel 2Q independently of the lines-pacing ratchet 28. Since the teeth 26 are very fine, the platen may be rotated anyl very small amount for adjusting the paper,y and when a proper adjustment of the paper has been obtained, thelrn'ob 40 may again be moved inwardly to connect the line spacing ratchet wheel 28 with the platen, so that the next movement ot the pawl 3l will movev the paper the usual amount, beginning with the position to which it has been adjusted while the platen was disconnected from the line spacing ratchet wheel.

It at any time it is desired to. renew the platen, the end of the platen not shown may be disconnected from. the rod 13 and the set screw 1.9 may be loosened to release the rod 13- from the stein 17., After this has been done, thev rod-.13 may be entirely withdrawn from the platen by movement to the right, and then when the pawls` 39 have been released,.the platen may be moved slightly to the right, when it will be entirely free trom the ratchet mechanism The only part which will remain attached` tol the platen is the plate 23, and it desired, this'. may be removed also by releasing the screws 25.. This arrangement permits changing of the plate-n Without the necessity of changing" the line spacing ratchet mechanism at the same time, thus greatly reducing the cost of renewing the platen.

I claim.:

l.. In combination, a typewriter platen, a trame for supporting said platen, ratchet mechanism for operating said platen, a bushing carried by said' trame, a sleeve 'journaled in.. said bushing, said sleeve and. bushing constituting a pivotal support for said ratchet mechanism, a platen rod extend-ing through said sleeve andremova-blethere.- from, for detachably holding said pla-ten in operative position adjacent said ratchet .mechanisnr anda clutch member slidably mounted on said sleeve for' controlling saidV ratchet mechanism.y

2.V In combination, a typewriter platen.,

a, frame for. supporting said platen, av bushing fixed in; said frame, a; sleeve journalled 1n said bushing, a ratchet Wheel journalled understood that whenv the pawls` on said sleeve, mechanism mounted on said bushing for operatingl said ratchet wheel, a platen rod extending 'through said sleeve for holding said platen in position adjacent said ratchet wheel,y said platen rod being movable into and out of position to permit removal. of said platen, pawls for connecting said' platen with said ratchet wheel, clutch mechanism tor operating said pawls to connect and disconnect 4said platen with said ratchet wheel, and a clutch rod extending longitndinallfy of. said platen: rod tor- 0perating said chi-tch.

3. In combination, a type-writerplaten,

ratchet mechanism Jfor operating said platen,

a clutch for connectingand disconnecting said platen. with. said ratchet. mechanism, a movable cone for operating said clutch, said cone being provided with a portion ont maximum, diameter arranged. 'to form an anto-l matie lock tor l-ioldin-g said clutch ini engaging position, a stop tor limiting the movement et said cone, and resilient means ilo-r engaging an inclined surface' ot said cone when in locked position for urging saidcone to iftslimiti-.ng position.

4. In combination, a typewriter platen, ratchet mechanism for operating said platen, parvisl for connecting said platen with said ratchet mechanism, springs conI-iectedwith said pawls, means for operatingY on* said springs to move said pawls into holding position, said operating means; being provided with a portion of maximum size which is movable past the springs on said pawlsi for automaticallyy locking said. pawls in holding position and yiel-dingl-y holding said operating means in locking position..

5.. In combination, a typewriter platen, ra-.tchetmechanism for operating said platen, mea-ns for supportingy said ratchet mechanisrn independently of said platen, paw-ls tor operatively connecting saidi platen with said ratchet mechanism, a movaltlile` member for operating sai-d pawls, a stop tor limiting the movement or said member, and means for adjusting sai-d stop and member rela,- tive toiI one another; to.v cause said movable member te assume proper position relative to' sai-d pawls) when limited. by said stop.

6. In combination, a typewriter platen, ratchet mechanism: foroperating said platen, pa'ivlspivotally carried by, Isaidratchet inechanism. for connecting and disconnecting said platen with said ratchet mechanism,

a wedge-shaped member movable laterally relative to said pafwls-to force. said` pawls into holding position, and. means on; said platen.V for supporting said pawls against lateral? movement away trom.; their` pivotal support under thee influer-icel ot` said wedge# shaped member;c

In combination, a typewriter platen, ratchet mechanism for operating said platen,

paw-ls fonconnecting saidratchet mechanism 1 with said platen, a Wedge-shaped member movable laterally relative to said paWls for forcing said pawls into holding position, resilient means for transmitting pressure from said Wedge-shaped member to said pawls, means for engaging lateral faces of said lateral movement under the pressure of said Wedge-shaped member, and adjustable means for limiting the lateral movement 0f said Wedge-shaped member, said Wedge-shaped v member being- -to said pawls, to hold lmember in operating paWls to support said pawls against provided With' a portion of maximum extensionrwhich moves past said resilient means for transmitting pressure position when said member has movedvto its limiting position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 2nd day of April, A. D. 1919;

' oTTo A. HoKANs'oN.

said Wedge-shaped 15 

